Telephone service is provided by a telephone company (“provider”) to a number of different customers of the provider, commonly referred to as “subscribers.” Each subscriber may purchase as many separate telephone lines as desired and equip his or her home or business with various types of telephone equipment. Subscribers are responsible for proper operation of the telephone equipment and the provider is responsible for proper operation of the telephone network up to the interface between the provider wiring and the subscriber wiring.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a telephone network interface device (“NID”) to serve as a demarcation point between the provider wiring and the subscriber wiring. NIDs serve the function of isolating the provider portion of the system or wiring from that of the respective subscriber. Such isolation is desirable in order to segregate the responsibility for faults or malfunctions that may occur in the respective parts of the system.
In practice, known NID designs are typically mounted to an exterior wall of a house or building. Conventional NIDs generally include a container or housing, the interior of which is divided into a provider portion and a subscriber portion. Provider wiring typically enters the NID and terminates in the provider portion. The provider portion also typically contains protective devices to protect equipment and users from excess voltages. The subscriber wiring typically enters the NID and terminates in the subscriber portion. At least one interconnect apparatus is located between the two portions and generally operates to connect the subscriber wiring to the provider wiring. A test jack may be provided in the interconnect apparatus where the subscriber wiring can be disconnected from the provider wiring.
As services continue to be enhanced, there is a need for other connection schemes between the provider and subscriber wirings.